The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-05-05
Hattie, the Female Fireman.

Hattie, the Female Fireman.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, April 24.-There
is one branch of labor that has not been
invaded by women to any extent. While
she, in search of employment, becomes
telegraph operator, ticket agent, typeset.
ter, typewriter clerk, saleswomau, and
even newspaper editor and reporter, it
has been supposed that she never aspired
to be either an engineer or fireman on
locomotive. But Bridgeport holds a
woman in the person of Hattie Morgans,
who has seen but twenty three years, and
who has been stoker in England and
Engineer on freight engine in Conuec.
ticut. She has bright colored, banged
hair, large Clark eyes, and, although her
face is weather.beaten she is quite hand.
some. She is Father masculine in appear.
ance and of a determined expression of
character. Her story runs as follows:
About FIVE years ago, while she WINS
living in London, she fell in love with
Tom Winnan, an engineer on the "Fly.
ing Scotchman," an express train which
runs between London and Edinburgh.
She loved him fondly, and was never
happy except when he was earher. She
was anxious to be constantly with him,
and it was arranged between them that
she should become his fireman. So she
arrayed herselfin course suit of mems
clothing, and was at once transformed into
a handsome young fireman. Day after
day she attended to her duties, and the
ponderous engine, No. 1862, with its sev.
enfoot drivers, to do the mile minute
act over the heavy metals. Both she and
Tom kept their secret well, and she and
Tom were to be married.
Bat on one. black day Tom was killed
by being run over by shunted car, ard
he died in less than an hour with his
head in Hattie's lap. In her anguish her
secret was revealed.
She left England, which had no more
happiness for her, and came to this coun.
try. She had some money, but it soon
dwindled away, and she found that she
must do something. So again Disgusting
herself she applied for 6reman's posi-.
tion on locomotive on Connecticut
railroad. She served nearly two years
acceptably, and has been given a freight
engine. As she had seventy four mile
run aud q vas the number of her engine,
it is believed that her run was on the
New York division of the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Railroad. She
work very we'll and showed her skill when
her engine got out of repair. She was
finally given the day express to run, and
while there sbo killed two men. One was
walking on the track and she blew the
whistle repeatedly, but he paid no atten.
ton and the engine struck and mangled
him. The other man undertook to drive
his wagon over grade crossing, and both
he and his horse we're mutilated past
recognition.
These accidents broke Hattie Morgans
all up. She was exonerated by the Off.
cials, but she could not sleep, and she
says the men constantly appeared before
her.
Finally she was running engine No.
12O with fast express at the rate Of fifty
miles an hour. Far ahead on the track
she saw something which she thought
was a piece of newspaper. As she
neared it she saw it was a little child
playing with the dirt and stones. lis
little life was crushed out on the instant
Hattie tried her best to reverse the
engine, but in vain. When the train
stopped the engineer almost tainted.
That was her last trip. The little child
haunted her day and night, and she had
a severe fit of sickness. Then she re.
sumed her proper dress.
She is now engaged to be married to
an engineer who has charge of sixty
horsepower engine in large factory not
far from New Haven. She hopes on her
wedding tour to visit England and show
her husband the "Flyiug Scotchman," !"
where she received her first lessons in
railroading. But she can never, she says,
forget the lives that were crushed out
when she stood in the cab and sent the
locomotive along at almost lightning
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